Employee-funded Retirement Programs

The amount of money you will need to live comfortably in retirement depends upon your future expenses and goals for retirement. In order to meet those goals, most people will need to save in addition to any employer and government benefits. Harvard provides several options that let you save additional money for retirement.

Tax-Deferred Account (TDA)

With two contribution options, TDA allows you to save for retirement and reduce your taxable income – now or in retirement. With the Traditional option, you make contributions before taxes, reducing your taxes today, and your savings aren’t taxed until you withdraw funds. With the Roth option (new in 2017), you make contributions after taxes, your savings grow tax-free and future withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. You may choose either contribution option or divide your contributions between them.

You decide how much to save, up the plan limits ($18,500 for 2018, with higher limits for those age 50+), and where to invest from among Harvard’s menu of available, low-cost investment choices.

You can sign up for the TDA as soon as you start working and may change the amount of your contribution and your investment choice at any time. The money in your TDA is always yours.

New faculty and administrative/professional staff who make no election are automatically enrolled in the TDA Plan (Traditional option) after 60 days of employment, with an initial contribution rate or 3% of salary deducted from pay before taxes that increases by 1 point each January, up to 10% (not to exceed federal contribution limits).

Who it’s for:

Generally, if you are a University faculty or staff member, you are eligible to participate in the TDA Plan. New faculty and staff will receive information/enrollment package by mail.

457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan

Allows certain high-earning faculty and staff to set aside a tax-deferred portion of their salary, in addition to TDA deductions.

Who it’s for:

Employees whose base salary is at least $200,000 (for 2018) and reside in certain states are eligible to enroll in this plan. If you are eligible, you will receive enrollment information from the Harvard University Retirement Center (HURC).